"Tom! Tom! Tom!"
The crowd below shouted Tom Cruise's name with unrestrained passion. Tom Cruise, always the gentleman, flashed his charming smile and interacted warmly with the fans.
Afterward, Gilbert handed him a bottle of water. "You've worked hard, Tom. Our film's promotion depends entirely on you."
"Please don't say that," Tom said with a laugh, taking a sip. "I think you were more popular on stage than I was. Isn't that right, Saoirse?"
Saoirse Ronan nodded beside them. "Yes, when the director went up there, the cheers were even louder."
Gilbert shrugged helplessly. "Can't help it—maybe I'm just too handsome."
"I'd say that's absolutely true," Tom replied with a grin.
After a full day of press events, Tom Cruise came to see Gilbert that evening.
"This is the third film we've worked on together," Tom said. "The whole process has been a pleasure, Gilbert. Have you ever thought about us continuing to collaborate?"
"What do you mean?"
"Would you be interested in directing the Mission: Impossible series?" Tom asked, full of anticipation.
As an actor, Tom Cruise was the very definition of a Hollywood icon.
From Chicago to The False, and now The Last of Us, Gilbert had come to fully recognize Tom Cruise's abilities as an actor.
There's a difference between a movie star and an actor. Tom Cruise could be described as both—a star among actors, and an actor among stars.
Having entered the industry early, he carried that unmistakable air of old-school craftsmanship, something younger actors could truly learn from.
However, when it came to directing Mission: Impossible, Gilbert didn't seem too enthusiastic. "Tom, let me recommend someone for the job."
"Who?"
"Brad Bird—one of the legendary 'Pixar Five.' Have you seen The Incredibles? I heard he's currently busy with Ratatouille. I think he'd be a great choice."
Tom frowned slightly. "An animation director taking on a live-action movie? Would that even work?"
"Of course," Gilbert said, selling the idea confidently. "Animation directors often bring incredible imagination and creativity to their work—something that many live-action directors lack.
Do you know what the biggest problem with Mission: Impossible has become?"
"What?"
"It's gotten too formulaic—too predictable and lifeless. If the franchise wants to keep thriving, it needs to abandon the traditional approach and find a new direction."
Tom Cruise nodded thoughtfully. When it came to filmmaking, he trusted Gilbert's professional judgment.
Still, since Mission: Impossible 3 hadn't been released yet, Tom simply said he would think about it.
Seeing that Gilbert wasn't interested, Tom didn't press the issue further. "Then at least let me ask—would you consider making a cameo in Mission: Impossible?"
Gilbert blinked, then smiled. "Sure, I'll take a role as a cool secret agent—preferably appearing right at the beginning."
Tom grinned. "No problem. I'll make sure it happens."
After Tom left, Gilbert couldn't help but sigh. In the original timeline, Mission: Impossible 3 wasn't exactly a big success.
Although the film made Tom a lot of money, Paramount took a huge loss. The studio head, Sumner Redstone, was furious and started a smear campaign against Tom through the media.
At that time, Tom Cruise was also plagued by scandals—his association with Scientology, his divorce from Nicole Kidman, and other eccentric behaviors—making him the target of relentless negative press.
Worse still, he had managed to offend several Hollywood heavyweights, including Steven Spielberg.
For a while, Hollywood's golden boy became a public enemy—hounded by everyone. To stay visible, Tom had to resort to showing off his daughter in public, and his acting opportunities dropped dramatically.
But now things were different. Even if Mission: Impossible 3 didn't perform well, it wouldn't threaten his standing in Hollywood.
After wrapping up the promotions for The Last of Us and Mission: Impossible 3, Tom Cruise still had several upcoming projects lined up.
As for The Last of Us, it dominated the North American box office during its opening weekend, grossing $88.4 million, easily taking the top spot.
By Saturday, its IMDb score was released—an impressive 8.9/10. One great thing about IMDb ratings is that they come directly from moviegoers themselves.
Although there are sometimes cases of "review manipulation" or organized campaigns, in general, films with high ratings still tend to earn genuine public recognition.
Of course, 8.9 isn't the final score—it's only the initial rating. As time goes on and more people vote, the number will inevitably drop.
So far, The Shawshank Redemption still holds the number one spot on the IMDb chart, with a remarkable 9.3 rating. The battle for second place remains fierce, primarily between fans of The Godfather and The Lord of the Rings.
At present, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King has occupied the second position on IMDb's chart for 342 consecutive days. Fans of The Godfather are furious, claiming that since Gilbert is a shareholder of IMDb, the platform is manipulating the results behind the scenes.
Naturally, that baseless accusation was immediately refuted by The Lord of the Rings fandom. They argued that the series deserved its ranking because it was a cinematic masterpiece—the greatest film trilogy in history.
Other fandoms were unhappy as well, sparking all-out chaos. No one accepted anyone else's favorite, leading to a period when IMDb was flooded with petty "rating wars," where users downvoted rival movies out of spite.
IMDb was eventually forced to announce a "server maintenance" period just to quell the chaos. But everyone knew that as long as public scoring exists, fans will always argue over rankings.
It's worth mentioning that Gilbert himself is the undisputed king of the IMDb chart. All three films from his Lord of the Rings trilogy made it into IMDb's Top 10.
Within the Top 20, Saving Private Ryan also holds a place, while in the Top 100, his works like Chicago, The Matrix, and The Sixth Sense continue to shine.
Expanding to the full TOP 250, films such as The False and Batman Begins are also included. Judging by the current trend, The Last of Us will likely be joining that list soon.
Though the IMDb ranking isn't exactly a formal award, it serves as undeniable proof that Gilbert's films over the years have consistently maintained both quality and audience appeal.
In China, there's a similar site that has recently gained popularity—the Douban Movie Chart. Thanks to Gilbert's massive global influence, even more of his works have appeared in Douban's TOP 250 list.
In the Top 20 alone, Gilbert has six entries: The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Saving Private Ryan, The Matrix, and The Sixth Sense.
Beyond that, even some of his earlier works like The Shallows and Final Destination remain on the Douban TOP 250, alongside The Rock and Real Steel.
The reason for this isn't hard to understand. Gilbert's films had an enormous impact on Chinese audiences back in the day. Having entered the Chinese market more than a decade ago, his movies essentially grew alongside an entire generation of theatergoers.
Therefore, it's perfectly natural that these viewers hold his works in high regard—even with a touch of nostalgia. It's completely understandable.
As time passes, some films whose ratings don't match their actual quality will naturally fade out of the charts.
...
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